Central Valley (CA) Jersey Breeders

On January 25, 2014, the Central Valley Jersey Breeders (CVJB) gathered for a luncheon at Hilmar Cheese, Hilmar, Calif. Kathy Sanders, Hilmar, lead the meeting.

Joan Brown, Hughson, was applauded for her services as secretary for the organization as she announced her retirement from the post. Special guests were introduced including members of the Jersey Marketing Service team, Jason Robinson, Manager; Erica Davis, Internet Marketing and American Jersey Cattle Association-National All-Jersey Inc. Area Representative, Kate Garcia.

The Central Valley Junior Breeders will host their annual field day on April 5 at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, Turlock, Calif. There are fitting and showmanship contests as well as judging clinics planned and a 10-12 head sale for junior breeders to purchase projects to show and develop. Between 75-100 junior members have attended this field day each year since 2009.

The California Spring Show will be held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds on April 24-26. Brian Carscadden, Guelph, Ont., will be the judge. Also discussed was the schedule of events and meetings for the California Jersey Breeders Association (CJBA) annual meeting and California Gold Sale held February 15, in Tulare.

Kentucky Jersey Breeders

Kentucky Jersey breeders met for the annual meeting of their state Jersey organization on December 7, 2013, at Cloudâ€™s Country Cooking restaurant in Harrodsburg. Members tended to club business in a meeting, recognized production achievements and enjoyed a meal and fellowship with their peers.

Jersey breeders discussed the upcoming Kentucky National Show and Sale, to be held in Louisville on April 4. The event is chaired by Craig Padgett of Waynesburg. Lynn Lee, Smyrna, Tenn., will cry the sale and Herby Lutz, Chester, S.C., will read pedigrees. Lutz will also serve as official for the show. The sale will be managed by Jersey Marketing Service. An ad hoc committee was established to address questions related to the event. Members of the committee include: Dante Carpenter, Russell Springs; Brady Core, Salvisa; Craig Padgett; and Chad Powers, Irvine.

Members approved continued sponsorship of All American festivities in the amount of $1,500.

They also discussed the Bluegrass Futurity. It was noted that Jersey breeders must be dues-paying members of the club to be a voting member or participate in the futurity. Bylaw changes were approved to allow club members to enter their animals in the futurity regardless of where they live.

Funds will be given to juniors to help establish a Kentucky Junior Jersey Cattle Club. MaKenzie Waymeyer, Campbellsville, will serve as the new junior advisor.
Brooke Powers, Irvine, told the group that the team from Kentucky topped the national FFA dairy judging contest in competition at the North American International Livestock Exposition in 2012. Kentucky Jersey breeders voted to continue sponsoring the team in the amount of $200.

The Kentucky junior Jersey show will again be held in conjunction with the Marion County Fair.

Officers were elected to serve the organization in 2014. Stacy Elmore, Elizabethtown, was elected president. Christopher Thomas, Campbellsville, will serve as vice president. Brooke Powers will continue as secretary and also assume treasurer duties effective February 1.

In an awards ceremony, Jersey breeders were recognized for production achievements in 2013. Awards for herd averages and individual cow production for milk, fat and protein in five age categories were distributed.

The herd owned by Fowler Branstetter, Edmonton, led the state for milk and protein production with a rolling herd average of 19,979 lbs. milk, 845 lbs. fat and 718 lbs. protein on five cows. The 14-cow herd owned by Bobby Isenberg, Oakland, was high herd for fat with a herd average of 17,874 lbs. milk, 894 lbs. fat and 645 lbs. protein. Keightley-Core Jerseys, Salvisa, ranked second for milk and protein with a herd average of 18,494 lbs. milk, 871 lbs. fat and 668 lbs. protein on 73 cows. The University of Kentuckyâ€™s herd of six cows ranked second for fat with a herd average of 16,623 lbs. milk, 876 lbs. fat and 629 lbs. protein.

S&S Ceasar Victoria-ET, owned by David A. Stiles and Family, San Antonio, Texas, was the leading lifetime producer for milk with 185,984 lbs. protein and 7,958 lbs. fat. The Very Good-86% daughter of DeBoer Cindys Ceasar, GJPI -45, has six records over 20,000 lbs. milk and made her best record of 25,120 lbs. milk, 1,122 lbs. fat and 922 lbs. protein at 4-8. Her most recent record was the high milk and protein record among aged cows. The m.e. on the 10-5 record was 27,573â€“1,261â€“955.

KCJF Regency Treasurer, a member of the milking string at Keightley-Core Jerseys and owned by Brittany Core, led the lifetime contest for fat with 171,204 lbs. milk and 9,069 lbs. fat. She is the most recent Registered Jersey to be appraised Excellent-97%. The daughter of Renaissance Kims Regency, JPI -24, received the NASCO International Type and Production Winner at The All American Jersey Show in 2006 and 2012, was named Reserve Overall Premier Performance Winner of the show in 2008 and topped the showâ€™s class for lifetime cheese production in 2012. She has five records over 20,000 lbs. milk and a best record of 2-10 297 22,120 5.8% 1,290 3.8% 842 89DCR.

Avonlea Hired Jezabel, owned by Jordan and Logan Elmore and Kenny Manion of Scottsville was the high cow for energy corrected milk. The Excellent-90% daughter of SV Jade Hired Gun-ET, GJPI +50, produced a record of 30,852 lbs. milk on an energy corrected basis. Actual production was 22,363 lbs. milk, 1,282 lbs. fat and 907 lbs. protein.

Carltons Impuls Alexis, owned by Darrell Carlton, Waynesburg, was the high producing two-year-old for all measures of production with an m.e. of 31,839â€“1,418â€“1,069 on her first lactation at 2-1.

Keightley-Core Jerseys took home the balance of the awards for individual cow production. WF Kyros Dakota led three-year-olds for milk and protein with an m.e. of 31,265â€“1,114â€“1,042 on her second lactation at 3-2. The Excellent-91% daughter of Sunset Canyon Kyros-ET, GJPI +110, made a subsequent lactation of 20,210 lbs. milk, 887 lbs. fat and 724 lbs. protein actual at 4-3. KCJF Feel My Fire, an Excellent-90% daughter of Forest Glen Avery Action-ET, GJPI +68, was the high producing three-year-old for fat. She made a 3-2 record with an m.e. of 25,775â€“1,362â€“939.

Among four-year-olds, J1 KCJF Black Beauty, Excellent-93%, led her peers for milk with a record with an m.e. of 28,991â€“1,032â€“918. The daughter of KCJF Sambo Dustin, PA JPI -76, is now owned by Oâ€™Brien Bragg of Montezuma, Ga. GR Rockin J Jamaica Douglas was the high producer for components with an m.e. of 27,166â€“1,210â€“1,012. She is appraised Excellent-94% and sired by Bridon Jamaica-ET, GJPI -63.

The high producing aged cow for fat was Wennings Vindication Storm. The Excellent-92% Vindication, GJPI +5, daughter produced a record with an m.e. of 25,651â€“1,259â€“961.

The 2014 annual meeting will be held on December 6 at Cloudâ€™s Country Cooking restaurant.

Mississippi Jersey Breeders

It was a cold, blustery day in Forest, Miss., for the reorganizational meeting of the Mississippi Jersey Breeders Club. This was the first meeting held in five years, and 10 breeders were present.

Lively discussion and fellowship was the mood, with president ex-officio, Richard Hay, Summit, Miss., overseeing the meeting. Junior member involvement and awards were discussed and included a nice tribute from many breeders on 2013 National Jersey Queen, Jessica Smith of Picayune, and her involvement with the membership over the past year. She attended the AJCA Annual Meetings, Amarillo, Tex., the International Jersey Show in Madison, Wis., and The All American festivities in 2012 and 2013. In addition, she was a member of the 2013 Jersey Youth Academy and sang the National Anthem before the 2013 Jersey Jug Futurity.

JMS Manager Jason Robinson, introduced himself in his new role as the Southeast AJCA/NAJ Area Representative and gave a report from the office. He spoke of the push to exceed the record number of registrations set in 2012. Attendees were provided the Executive Secretaryâ€™s Report from November 2013 board meetings highlighting REAP Fees and program rewards. JMS programs and efforts were also given an overview.

Secretary/Treasurer Carla Taylor and Robinson shared information on youth opportunities, awards, and scholarships in Mississippi and on the national level. National programs such as Jersey Youth Academy and opportunities like the Fred Stout Experience were outlined for the parents to take home to their children interested in becoming involved junior members. Within the state, Mississippi Jersey breeders will be presenting outstanding youth awards at the Dixie National Junior Round-up show on February 1.

Awards for elite production among Mississippi Jersey breeders were discussed and agreed upon and will be presented at next yearâ€™s meeting. Futurity entries and awards were also discussed, with the show being held during the Mississippi State Fair in October 2014.

Mississippi Jersey Breeders who market their own products were also recognized for their hard work.

New York Jersey Breeders

The annual meeting of the New York Jersey Cattle Club (NYJCC) was held on January 17, 2014, in conjunction with the New York All-Breeds Convention in Corning, N.Y. Members tended to organization business and heard from several industry guests.

Sara Barlass, the stateâ€™s area representative for the American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) and National All-Jersey Inc., spoke about the record-breaking year for the Jersey breed in 2013. New benchmarks for all primary servicesâ€”registrations, linear appraisals, cows on performance programs and contributions to Equityâ€”were established, along with new records for all measures of Jersey production and units of Jersey semen sold. The number of animals registered online and identified by double-matching approved ear tags continues to grow as well, up 5% from 2012 to a record 63,918 head.

The population of Jerseys in the national dairy herd continues to grow as well and was estimated to be 108,897 head at year end. The Registered Jersey population was estimated to be 589,627 head.

Barlass encouraged breeders to attend the 2014 AJCA-NAJ Annual Meetings in Alexandria, Va., this summer. She invited them to consign to the National Heifer Sale, which will again be an all-virtual event, with bidding conducted through JerseyAuctionLive.com at the Holiday Inn and Suites and no live animals on site.

Barlass reported that the NYJCC received a check in the amount of $1,642.80 from the Jersey Journal state-page advertising program, which reimburses state Jersey organizations 10% for advertisements placed by breeders from the home state. At 30 pages, New York placed the third highest number of advertisements in the country. Part of the proceeds will be used to continue the NYJCC website on JerseySites.

AJCA Director Chuck Luchsinger talked about changes in the associationâ€™s information technology department, which includes extensive upgrades of technology. This will enable the national Jersey organizations to better serve customers. He also talked about increases in per-cow fees for REAP and other performance programs. Herd fees remain unchanged. Luchsinger also reported that transfer fees for REAP herds will be adjusted based on volume.

Dr. George Merrill, with the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets, spoke briefly about health tests for the state and also elaborated on traceability requirements.

Members discussed consignment sales at length. With the growing importance of online cattle merchandising, traditional, volume sales may be less viable as a means of moving cattle from New England. The New England Spring Sale will continue this spring, but the Vermont Fall Sale will not be held. The spring sale was renamed the Northeast Jersey Classic and Breeders Sale and will be held on May 3 at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland. The sale will be a volume sale, with some elite tie-up consignments.

Members approved holding a virtual sale this spring as well. The event, New Yorkâ€™s Next Generation Jersey Sale, will be held May 9 at the Steuben County Fairgrounds in Bath, N.Y. The sale will be conducted by JerseyBid.com, with bidding opening on April 28 and closing sale day at 5 p.m. The sale will be a volume sale, with some elite tie-up consignments and a few online consignments. A sale committee was established to consider future options for the event, which may include a banquet dinner along with the sale. Sara Barlass; Nathan Chittenden, Schodack Landing; Eric Hansen, Machias; Charlie Luchsinger, Syracuse; Meghan Moody, Hamden; Jerry Stewart, Bath; and George Wilson, Stamford.

Members voted to name the youth memorial scholarship that is awarded by the NYJCC in memory of the late Robin Denniston-Keller. Memorials in her memory will be directed to the Robin Denniston-Keller Memorial Fund.

In order to save money, Jersey breeders agreed that mailings will now be accomplished electronically through email rather than through mail.

Jersey breeders were invited to attend the NYJCC summer picnic, which will be hosted by John and Lynda Lehr at the farm in Canastota.